The Deputy Home Minister’s remarks are particularly welcome in light of travel bans recently imposed on Maria Chin Abdullah (Chairperson of Bersih 2.0) and other Malaysians, as well as baseless threats made by Malaysian government leaders before Bersih 4 in 2015, which Global Bersih had addressed in previous statements:

Given the Deputy Home Minister’s praiseworthy example, we call on the Malaysian government to guarantee the right of all Malaysians overseas, in particular scholarship students and civil servants, to participate in peaceful expressions of Malaysian citizenship without fear of reprisal of any kind, not just alleged ‘travel bans’.

Global Bersih reminds all Malaysians that the right to dissent is a fundamental civil right, guaranteed under Article 10 of Malaysia’s Federal Constitution – and in the laws of most of the countries where we reside.

The right to dissent also a demand of the Bersih 5 rallies worldwide, as dissent is increasingly being criminalised and suppressed in Malaysia through both civil and religious legislation, and law enforcement.

Global Bersih and Malaysians around the world stand in solidarity with Malaysian civil society in its demand for urgent electoral reforms, better governance – and an end to the persecution of activists.

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The Warsaw Declaration (2000)

The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government, as expressed by the exercise of the right and civic duties of citizens to choose their representatives through regular, free and fair elections with universal and equal suffrage, open to multiple parties, conducted by secret ballot,monitored by independent electoral authorities,and free of fraud and intimidation.